John t



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J.T.STA0K.

` FIRE ALARM BOX.. l.

No' 5431063- Patented July z3, 1895. @i @W12-A Attorney/ NITED STATES .PATENT Brice.

JOHN T. STACK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GAMEVVELL FIRE- ALARMTELECRAPH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ALARM BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,063, dated July 23, 1895. lApplication filed Ianuary 2, 1894. Serial No. 495,432. (No modehl :To all whom ijn/bay concerm `into circuit and to work the noninterference Be it known that I, JOHN T. STACK, a citidevice before an alarm is sent. zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, My invention consists especiallyin certain county of Cook, State of Illinois, have inventcombination devices for performing these 5 ed certain new and useful Improvements in functions, and at the same time causing the 55 Fire-Alarm Boxes, of which the following is a tripping of the starting mechanism of the'box Specitication,reference being made to the aoand the sending of a signal to the central companying drawings, in whichstation.

Figure 1 is a vertical section `of that part 4 Referring to the accompanying drawings,

1o of the boxembodying my invention. Fig.,2 A represents the door of an ordinary fire- 6o is a plan thereof. Fig. 3 is a reverse plan, alarm box, and it will be seen that it is made and Fig. 4 is a detail. quite deep in order that the mechanism for My invention relates to that class of boxes operating the same from the outside may be known as keyless boxes. Th'e peculiar feaattached to the door and form a part thereof 15 ture of Such keyless boxes is that they are independent of the main apparatus within 65 provided with an external handle, by the the box. On the outside of the door is cast a turning of which an alarm will bey sentin. boss C,which forms the bearing for the main Boxes of this kind are usually placed in exoperating-shaft B. The shaft is provided posed situations, where they are not likely to with a handle D outside thebox. Within the zo be tampered with and unauthorized alarms door A is a toothed wheel E, which in turning 7o sent in, because such boxes do not. require is adapted to engage with a pallet F,carryinga to be opened with a key before an alarm hammer G, and thereby sound the bell Il. On can be turned in, but are accessible to any the hub of wheel E is a coil-spring K, and next one. It is customary, however, to provide to the spring is a short radial arm L. One

z 5 boxes of this kind with a gong or alarm-bell, end of spring K is attached to a stationary 7 5 which is automatically sounded by the turnpart of the box at the point k, while the other ing of the handle, so that an alarm cannot be end is fastened to the wheel E. On the end soundedwithout calling attention to the fact. of the arm L is a spring-pressed tip Z, which My invention consists only in certain details is adapted to engage with a pivoted latch M 3o of construction of a box of this character. on the face of wheel E. In Fig. 3 these two 8o It is customary in're-alarm boxes to have parts are shown not in full engagement, but the lapparatus contained therein normally just at the point of release. A second spring short-circuited, in order that the resistance of O, Fig. 1, is placed on the hub of arm L, havthe box-magnets and other parts may be reing one end attached thereto and the other 35 moved from the circuit, and itis also custom-` end attached to a stationary part of the box. 85 ary to provide means for preventing inter- It will, therefore, be apparent that the turnference between the several boxes on a co1n` ing of handle D will wind up spring O, and

mon circuit. In ordinary key-boxes there is if the tip Z is in engagement with latch M the usually a projection which by the opening of movement of arm L will at the same time turn 4o abox breaks the short circuit, and oftentimes wheel E, thereby winding up spring K and 9o further provision by which the same movesounding an alarm. This will be continued ment co-operates with the non-interference until the curved end-of latch M comes into mechanism to disable or cut out the box in engagement with the stationary pin @when the event of another signal being already in the latch'will be slightly turned and the wheel 45 process of transmission on the same line. It E, being released will come back to its origi- 95 is obvious that inv keyless boxes where the nal position, under the influence of spring K, door is not open that these same operations and in doing so will continue to sound the must be performed in some other way, and it alarm. is usual to provide Vthat the turning of the The mechanism thus far shown is not new 5o handle shall in some way act to bring the box with me, but is well known in the art, being roc shown in Patent No. 346,8t7 of B. S. Flanders, dated August 3, 1886.

The features embodying my invention are as follows: On the shaft B is a second radial arm P, carrying on its outer end a blade R.

S is a curved arm pivoted at the point s, Figs. 2 and 4, and provided with a spring p, tending normally to draw the arm S backward against the door A. On the end of arm S is a cam-shaped projection T, adapted to rest againsta similar-shaped stop T. Normally T and T are separated by the blade R on the end of arm P, which goes in between them and forces the curved arm S forward. The arm S carries a pin W, and the pin V forms part of a well-known non-interference mechanism, which need not be described in detail, but of which, however, it may be said that the pin \V serves as a mechanical connection between the door of the box and the armature of the non-interference magnet, normally holding the latter in its attracted position, and that so long asthe armature is thus attracted it holds an insertion-piece between the operatinghook and releasing-lever of the train. This non-interference device is known as the Gardiner arrangement, the object being to have the retraction of the armature of non-interference magnets, caused by the presence of the signal on the line, disable the mechanism by withdrawing the insertion-piece so that the operating-hook may not act upon the lever.

By means of my arrangement the llrst movement of handle D turns the radial arm P, and withdraws the blade R from engagement with piece T, thereby allowing the spring p to drawback the arm S, carrying the pin W'. The withdrawal of the pin WV allows the armature of the non-interference magnet to act in the event of there being a signal already in process 0f transmission.

For operating the cnt-ont I provide on the opposite end of arm P a cam-shaped groove X, adapted to engage a pin Y upon a pivoted arm Z. The arm Z is provided with a spring normally pressing upward, and at its outer end has a wedge-shaped surface Z', adapted to act upon the cut-out switch within the box. The first movement of the arm P withdraws the cam X and allows the arm Z to rise under the influence of its spring and thereby open the short-circuit switch or cut-out.

For operating the releasing-lever of the boxes, I provide an angle-lever V, the longer horizontal arm of which is adapted to engage with the ordinary releasing or operating-hook whenever the short arm of the lever is engaged by a pin V on radial arm P. It will be observed that this engagement does not take place until the arm P has been turned to the limit of its range of movement. This necessitates that the alarm-bell shall ring fora certain period before an alarm can be sounded by the pulling of the box, and after the mechanism of the box has been released the bell will continue to ring for a certain time while the parts are coming back to their normal position.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination in a fire-alarm box of an external handle, analarm sounded there-V by, a releasing mechanism for the box actuated by said handle, and consisting of an angle lever having one arm adapted to engage the releasing lever ot the box when the other end is engaged by an arm on the shaft of the said handle.

2. The combination in a lire alarm box of an external handle, an alarm sounded thereby, connecting devices between the said handle and the releasing lever ol' the box, and means for controlling the non-interl`erence mechanism of the box by the movement of said handle.

3. The combination in a fire-alarm box of an external handle, non-interference devices for the box controlled by the lirst movement of said handle, and a releasing lever for the box controlled by subsequent movement of the handle.

et. The combination in a firealarn1 box of an external handle, a cut-out, non-interfer ence devices for the box controlled by the lirst movement of the said handle, and a releasing device controlled by the subsequent movement of the handle.

5. The combination in a tire-alarm box of an external handle, a piece carrying a pin acting upon the non-interference mechanism of the box and provided with a retractile spring, and an arm on the shaft of the said handle, bearing against the said piece, normally forcingit against the tension of the said spring, but adapted to release the said piece on the movement of the said handle.

6. The combination in a lire-alarm box of an external handle, an alarm sounded thereby, an arm carrying a pin adapted to engage with the non-interference mechanism of the box and to beitself engaged by an arm on the shaft of the said handle, and a releasing device for the mechanism of the box consisting of a lever adapted to engage with the releasing hook and be itself engaged by a pin on the said arm. 4

In Witness whereof'I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of December, 1893.

JQI'IN T. STACK. Witnesses:

E. B. CHANDLER, DOUGALD MUIR.

IIO 

